Roles in groups

In order for groups to run as smoothly as possible it can be a good idea to assign roles to members. Sometimes this happens naturally, but if not, assigning and rotating roles, if necessary, can be a good way of ensuring the work load is distributed amongst all members of the group.

Manager/Leader

The role of the manager is to take on the responsibility of:

getting the group organised

keeping the group on task

organising tasks into sub-tasks

making sure everyone has a chance to contribute

Sceptic/Thinker

The role of the sceptic is to:

ensure the group avoids premature agreement

ask questions that will lead to understanding

push the group to explore all possibilities

Checker/Recorder

The role of the recorder is to:

check for consensus among group members

record the group’s solutions

Conciliator

The role of the conciliator is to:

resolve conflicts

minimise interpersonal stress

ensure that members feel ‘safe’ to give opinions

Explainer

The role of the explainer is to:

re-emphasise the main points

check understanding

ensure that each member understands the task, their component and what they have to do